According to Japanese media reports such as Japan's Kyodo News Agency and the Japan Broadcasting Association (NHK), late at night on April 20, two SH-60K patrol helicopters of the Maritime Self-Defense Force during training in the waters east of Torishima Island, Izu Islands, Japan, fell. There were eight people on board, and the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force found and recovered two flight recording devices at the search site.
On the morning of the 21st, Japanese Defense Minister Minoru Kihara held a press conference at the Ministry of Defense in Ichiga, Tokyo, and said that "there is a high possibility of a collision between the two planes" in view of the discovery of the device in close proximity to each other. The Maritime Self-Defense Force rescued one of them, but confirmed that he was dead. The search for the remaining seven persons is continuing. At the same time, the cause of the accident is under investigation.
The Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force decided to suspend training on the same type of aircraft.
Ryo Sakai, the top commander of the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force and chief of maritime staff, apologized at a press conference on the afternoon of the 21st and said that the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force had set up an incident investigation team. "We are very sorry that this happened," he said. We sincerely apologize for the great concern caused to the Japanese people. ”
Ryo Sakai, the top commander of the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force and chief of maritime staff, apologized
Japan's Ministry of Defense said the two helicopters participated in training to detect submarines with ships and aircraft of the Maritime Self-Defense Force. At around 10:38 p.m. on the 20th, 1 helicopter lost communication. An emergency signal is received after 1 minute. At 11:04 p.m. that night, it was learned that it was in a state where it was unable to make contact with the other aircraft. The two helicopters, which belong to Komatsushima Air Base (Tokushima Prefecture) and Omura Air Base (Nagasaki Prefecture), took off from different frigates deployed near the sea area of the site.
The site of the crash was about 270 kilometers east of Bird Island, and in the vicinity of the discovery of the flight recording device, there were also objects that could have been part of the rotor blades of the helicopter. The Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force has deployed frigates and aircraft, and patrol vessels and aircraft from the Japan Coast Guard have joined in the search.
The location of Bird Island and the location of the sea area where the incident occurred
The SH-60K helicopter is usually a four-passenger helicopter, with a total length of 19.8 meters and a total weight of 10.9 tons, and Japan has introduced the Maritime Self-Defense Force's own anti-submarine system based on the U.S. Navy model.
SH-60K直升机（资料图）
Previously, in August 2017, the SH-60J of the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force fell off the coast of Aomori Prefecture. In addition, in April 2023, the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force UH-60JA, which was carrying 10 people, fell near Miyako Island in Okinawa Prefecture, killing all the people on board.
Source: Observer.com